


White noise

by SmileDesu



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Pointless fluff, Trouble Sleeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3814462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmileDesu/pseuds/SmileDesu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard couldn't get over how Tali said she had trouble sleeping. Leave it to the captain of the Normandy to look after his crew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	White noise

**Author's Note:**

> At the time this was written, and by this, I mean this very note, I have played just barely past the scene I'm referencing. I talked to the rest of the crew ~~,turned down a romance with Ashley~~ , saved and quit the game. Please be mindful of this when replying, thank you.
> 
> Thank you very much to morphia who beta'd it and gave feedback both for grammar and structure, as well as characterization feedback ♥

"How do you sleep at night?"  
"The silence wakes you up?"  
"Back on the flotilla, the last thing you want to hear is silence"

And yet that was all Shepard heard, lying on his back in the commanding officer's quarters on board the Normandy. It was another long, eventful day, and with the ship being enroute to its next destination, the newly appointed Spectre figured the best way to spend that time was by recovering his strength. It wouldn't do to have the Normandy's captain unable to function due to exhaustion, after all. That knowledge availed him not, as despite the needs of both his body and mind, Shepard found himself unable to fall asleep. The silence Joker and the rest of the crew were so proud of now hung in the air like a suffocating fog, making him restless. "Too quiet" was a term he was well familiar with, and having a healthy awareness of it kept him alive through many a battle, but he never thought he'd think of it once he was back from the field. He knew that was how the ship was supposed to run, smoothly and silently, and Joker would no doubt muster the strength needed to kick him in the ass if he voiced any concern on the matter. Still, now that the thought arose, he couldn't ignore it as easily as he would've liked.  
He couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like for Tali.

Knowing well that the last thing that would help was prolonged rolling around in bed, Shepard pushed himself up and out of his room, finding odd comfort in the sound made whenever his soles met the metallic surface of the floor. He wandered about, taking idle note of the relationships between his crew, who talked to whom, who was assigned where, and self-checking what he already had memorized. It was while he was committing new and rectified details to memory on his way down the elevator that he noticed the soft humming sound as the elevator slid down its shaft. Would this be enough to help Tali feel more at ease, he wondered and closed his eyes, a thoughtful frown on his face.  
It was his responsibility as the captain of the Normandy to care for his crew, especially the ones who had no reason to join save for their decision to follow him on his quest. And what an odd assortment they were, truly. Wrex and Garrus gave off a different aura than most people one could run into, radiating authority and independence. He would have to keep them in line if he had to worry about them at all. Kaidan and Ashley were in their natural habitat, in a sense, being two alliance soldiers among other alliance soldiers. All he had to do with them was tell them how high to jump and where to aim, and they would. The most out-of-sorts was most likely Liara, but Shepard knew it was because they had spent so little time around the Asari-born. That was likely to change.  
And then, there was Tali. The young Quarian has more than proved herself, her very presence on board the Normandy was proof of Shepard's faith in her and he was more than willing to say so to anyone voicing doubts about the presence of non-humans on board. And yet there was something about her, perhaps her age, that made Shepard feel oddly protective of her. He let out a soft snort and shook his head, recalling Liara's earlier speech about how young she was, despite having lived for close to a human's full life expectancy. Tali on the other hand was young by any standards, and hidden inside her environmental suit. Still Shepard could feel her sincere passion whenever she spoke, about her pilgrimage, her people, even his ship's engine. Was that what it was like to have a younger sister, he thought-- no, that was not what Tali was to him, but the odd urge to protect her was there just the same. He wanted to do something for her, to help her feel less out of place. At the very least, she should be able to sleep well.

It was that thought that made him come to an abrupt stop no more than two steps out of the elevator's cabin. To his side, in his usual spot, was the Normandy's requisitions officer, stifling a yawn while he was going over his supply records. Once he noticed Shepard, he realigned his cap and straightened up.

"Anything I can help you with, Commander?"

Shepard gave the question some thought as he stared at the elevator. Then his brows climbed up his forehead, and one corner of his lips tugged upward briefly. The man did claim early on to be able to provide for all the ship's needs... well.

"As a matter of fact, I think there is."

–

The briefing ended roughly five minutes after Shepard noticed Tali's presence at the edge of the bridge. The ground-team's briefing was to follow shortly, so her hesitant, uncertain demeanor was no surprise. Exchanging a few more brief words with Pressly, Shepard motioned her over and tried not to mind the way the rest of the shipmates present not only gave them space but turned their backs on her. He will have to speak to them about this - sternly.

"They said you called for me, Shepard?" she sounded timid, and he decided against feigning casuality, keeping it informative if a bit formal.

"Tali. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"The head engineer offered to show me another part of the system, but I didn't want to get too involved before the briefing."

She tried to hide it, but he still caught onto the disappointment in her voice. Honestly, the rest of them could stand to learn a thing or two from her.

"I appreciate that," he said and finally turned away from the control panel displaying their course. "I'd hate to interrupt your studies."

"Is something the matter?" Tali asked abruptly. Her honesty was another thing he appreciated about her. "We are gathering soon, what's so urgent it couldn't wait?"

The only way he could respond to her concern was a soft smile. Her head-tilt gave away her confusion which didn't lessen at all when he motioned her to follow him.

"Walk with me."

He led her to the elevator, the two keeping quiet until the were alone in the cabin. He saw her fidgeting out of the corner of his eye and felt bad about unnerving her so much.

"After the briefing, we should all get ready. There won't be time for this."

She looked directly at him and he gave her a look that was almost uncharacteristically bright.

"I have something for you."

Her mannerism became the excited kind of restless as they stepped into the hangar. Shepard led her aside towards the requisitions officer who grinned at them.

"Commander."

"You have what I asked for?"

"Have I ever let you down?"

The item in question was a small machine with a hidden control panel and a lone button indicating which side was the top. Tali looked at it constantly up to the moment Shepard handed it to her, at which point she looked up at the man with that same curious tilt of her head Shepard came to recognize. 

"Is something wrong with this white noise machine? Or is this for the mission?" she asked as she took the device in both hands and proceeded to inspect it from all sides.  
The commander smiled softly and shrugged. 

"If there was anything wrong with it, I'd have to replace our requisitions officer. It's not for the mission, either."

"Then what am I to do with it?" she asked, a legitimate query. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Many humans have the same symptoms you're experiencing, where they can't sleep if it's too quiet. This thing doesn't produce that much noise so it doesn't bother the people around you, while still breaking the silence. A bit old fashioned, but it gets the job done in most cases. Thought it was worth a shot."

What was going on behind that mask, Shepard wondered as she stared at him, for a long moment saying nothing. He didn't offend her by any chance, did he? It was difficult to know as every race had different customs, and some did not take kindly to gifts. Somehow, that wasn't the impression he was getting, and he received support for that hypothesis when Tali finally looked away and down at the machine. He looked as well and noticed she was holding it more tightly than was called for.

"I-- am sorry to have caused you trouble."

"Don't be," he interjected, trying to be strict yet not quite harsh. He would hear none of her protests. "You've been helping me since the moment we met, and now you're helping my ship and my crew. The least I can do is help you sleep well."

He stared again at her dark mask and wondered if it was his need to visualize an expression that made it seem somehow brighter than before. It certainly added up with the way she sounded, bashful and happy.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Don't thank me yet. First try it out, see if it works. If not, we'll talk to Doctor Chakwas. Maybe she'll have a better idea. You know, actual professional help."

Was that a giggle, or was she trying to be selfless again, Shepard didn't know. Kaidan was there with Ashley in tow, and Shepard knew the others wouldn't be far behind. He nodded at the lieutenant who simply walked on to the briefing room along with his companion. Tali watched them until the door slid shut behind them and only then turned back to Shepard, an expectant air to her. He nodded again.

"Go put that somewhere safe, then join us. We're in for another long day."

He almost gave in to the urge to yell after her not to run, but ultimately didn't see the point to it. She came to a stop right before disappearing into the elevator, and bowed her head so much she actually bent over. Shepard let out a soft chuckle under his breath. At least she accepted his intentions, he figured and turned to join the others.


End file.
